Do like I did- I put the Weekender on my Christmas List. My kids all got together and shared the cost and gave it to me for Christmas! The volume is surprisingly different depending on if you use the outside or inside circumfrance of the BearVault because the walls are pretty thick. I do think, however, that the BearVault is slightly larger in capacity. I have a BearVault but cannot use it when I solo because several times I could not get the lid off! It tends to air-lock when you change altitude. And if it gets below freezing the lid contracts more than the can, and there is an issue with moisture in the threads freezing. I do not have really strong fingers so these are real issues with me.

One worry of mine, with all bear cannisters, is that the "authorities" will change the rules on us and our very expensive gear will no longer be legal. Note that the Bearikade is not technically "legal" in Montana (Yellowstone) where they do not deem it grizzly proof. For some reason (ha,ha- guess what) the "approved" bear cannisters there are locally manufactured!

I agree, the lid on the BearVault is a pain in the neck. (polite term) Having to press in on the plastic ridges can be difficult. I have the small size BearVault and the BV500. Maybe I can get a few dollars for them on Ebay or something. The Weekender is looking better and better.

hmm.. people blamed me when trying to open a BV in REI when I cut my finger opening one. Hence, went with a Bearikade. You can actually order all Bearikades to your size reqmts. I picked one in the middle of the weekender and the expedition. Perfect to sit on; no to short to sit on; not too tall to put horizontal in my lower squeaky kelty compartment. They cut to fit. pick a size that fits your pack and you're good to go.

Flux....That material stretches about .25 to .50 inches, and designed to be external pockets, but not super stretchy. The bottom ones will hold a Nalgene water bottle and the back one for soft stuffables. The material is a very fine nylon elastic weave that will not snag as easily as mesh netting.

fishmonger wrote:followup on my Gregory Whitney 95 repair story - they sent me a new pack. 2nd day air just in time for my April Fools Day Whitney trip, no charge. Not bad for a pack I bought on ebay for half price in early 2008 and have put through 4 Muir Trails since then.

well, snap!

Today, about a year after my original Whitney 95 was mailed to the wrong person and they just mailed me the new one instead, the original pack was delivered, from that address it was mailed to by accident last year. The old one had been fixed before it was sent there, too, so now I have two.

I, too, have the problem that as I have ben going on longer trips to areas requiring bear cans, I have been only using the packs that I have that can fit my Bearikade Expedition bear can. At present, that means I can use either my Dana Designs Arclight Glacier pack, or my Lowe Alpine Scirocco II pack (women's version of the Contour).

Both are wo derful, durable, and ~comfortabler~ backpacks that hold a load well.

Both are also on the heavier side of the spectrum.

I wrote to Mystery Ranch to ask if the Bearikade Expedition or Weekender would fit into the Trance backpack.

I sold my BearVault this year, and bought a Bearikade. They are pricey, so I had them custom make it 12" high, and use it for all trips where required, but it is a little smaller than the Expedition. It weighs much less than the BV500, and holds more. Should work for up to about 10 days for me, the way I pack. I find that its fits ok in my GoLite Quest, and also in the GoLite Odyssey, though I do need to put it in first, then pack around it.